Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

The sixth installment of J. K. Rowling's world of wizards wafts its way on to the screen with Harry entering his sixth year at Hogwarts. He stumbles in to the potions class and comes across a book that belongs to the mysterious Half Blood Prince. Dumbledore meanwhile is up to his old tricks in his usual benign fashion while the shadow of Voldemort lurks. The film tries desperately to be dark and moody but what shines through is teenage angst. 

Rating: * *

The Girl Who Played with Fire

The film loosely picks up from where Girl with the Dragon Tattoo left off. Lisbeth Salander is seen vacationing off of her pickings from the Wennerstorm fortune. She has disappeared from the lives of her Swedish friends especially that of Mikael Blomkovist. He is busy setting up his next expose of a sex trafficking ring with help from a young journalist and his girlfriend. When the couple is found murdered and Salander is accused of the killings, Blomkovist is again in the eye of the storm.

Director Daniel Alfredson has liberally cut out swathes from Steig Larson's book. His handling of a certain fight scene which is amazing portrayed in the book lacks any sort of punch. But yet the film makes for a complete and thrilling experience. 

Rating: * * *

Kapurush

A car breakdown in the hillside finds Amithaba taking refuge at a tea estate manager's bungalow. Bimal is portly and jovial with a stunner of a wife who turns out to be Amithaba's old flame. Soon there are the required flashbacks and the aches of what could have been. The story goes only skin deep and maybe a lot was lost in translation.

Rating: * +

Intimacy

Jay and Claire meet every Wednesday for a roll in the haystack. The encounters seem casual, devoid of emotion and sexually intense. However as it is the wont in the such situations feelings creep in and the couple careen towards an unfriendly place...

Rating: * *

Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!

The future of Hindi cinema seems safe in the hands of Abhay Deol, who dons the mantle of the notorious con man Lucky Singh who terrorized the affluent all over India. The audacity of some of his heists had me wondering if this was indeed based on a true story or if Dibaker da had toked on one too many. However a quick google search proved me wrong and led me to this article at one of my favorite film websites, Passion for Cinema. Lucky was apparently more than notorious and his panache is effortlessly brought to life by Mr. Deol. Neetu Chandra plays his love interest and is not only easy on the eyes but also does a decent job of the limited role she is given. However the man who takes the cake is Paresh Rawal as he seamlessly shifts gears between a father, don and businessman. All in all this turns out to be one of the best Indian heist movies made to date.

Rating: * * *

Taking Father Home

A young boy from a far flung Sechuan village sets out to the city of Zigong looking for his father who abandoned his family six years ago. His sole companions are two ducks that he plans to use in stead of money. And on his journey he runs in to goons, cops who in their own ways nudge him towards his destination. The film heralds the arrival of Liang Ying in to the film industry and is shot with a cheap hand held camera with a cast and crew made up of Ying's friends and relatives. A film that I desperately wanted to like however it totally failed to engage. 

Rating: *

The Fountain

Past, present and future collide in this film as each time stream's protagonist searches for eternal life to save his love. The doctor races against time to find a cure for brain tumors so that his wife can be saved. A warrior trudges through the jungles of Peru to find the tree of eternal  life to save his country. An astronaut flies through space in an encapsulated bubble with  an aged tree in hope that a dying star can save it. A film that explores man's thirst for eternal life but yet doesn't examine the meaning of having it.

Rating: * * +

Well Done Abba!

Armaan Ali (Boman Irani) takes a month's leave from his chauffeuring and shows up for work three months later. His boss's exasperation sees no end but Armaan convinces him to hear out his story. Armaan Ali then takes on a ride that starts with him returning to his village to find a husband for his daughter. The yarn runs in to corrupt government officials and politicians when Armaan decides to dig a well using a government scheme. Throw in a little love story and you have a packed film in your hands. However, Shyam Benegal has used this light hearted comedy to poke some serious fun at the pitiful state of Indian government and its official. A decent watch but the film could have been made shorter.

Rating: * * +

Ek Chalis Ki Last Local

The film initially reminded me of this wonderful Kishore Kumar song. Nilesh (Abhay Deol) is a young whippersnapper who runs in to the hot Madhu (Neha Dhupia) at the time of night in Bombay when the trains disappear. It also helps that the two want to head to the same destination. The night meanders in to one that involves a bit of gambling, the cops and the underworld. Along the way a couple of pages are taken out of Pulp Fiction and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. But yet, the film calls for enjoyable viewing. It also confirms that Abhay "I want to have nothing to do with Sunny Deol" Deol is indeed the man of Hindi cinema these days and Neha Dhupia is just a bimbo with a figure.

Rating: * *

Gandhi my father

Had heard about this movie when it was released couple of years ago. Finally watched it and can quite understand some of the rave reviews that had I read at the time. Much like its Bollywood counterparts, its a long movie - at 2 hours + and also has its fair share of melodrama. But it manages to brilliantly capture the story of a fallen son and a father on his way to sainthood with the Indian freedom struggle as its backdrop.

Akshaye Khanna plays Harilal Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi's eldest son) impressively - as Harilal progresses from being a loyal son to a disgruntled husband to an unscrupulous rebellious son and finally, running out of second chances, ending up on the streets. The jacket of the DVD says "Mahatma Gandhi could transform the soul of a nation but could not save the soul of his own son". The irony of the situation, as the tagline suggests, is clearly the central theme of this story - but the writer does well in bringing out the values of Gandhi as it was and not demonise him.

Darshan Jariwala also does a good job of playing Gandhi - but doesn't quite look like Gandhi as I know him and which is Ben Kingsley's fault. WTF moment - the film's produced by Anil Kapoor.


Rating: ***

Paraiso Travel

Reina (Angelica Blandon) allures Marlon (Aldemar Correa) like a temptress moon and he has no choice but to follow. He leaves his humdrum life in Madellin, Colombia for love and the harsh streets of New York City. In a brief flash he finds himself separated from Reina and on his own. But luckily for him a better life follows including the bewitching Milagroz (Ana de la Reguera) who inexplicably falls for him. However, Marlon dreams of Reina in spite of the angel who opens her legs arms to him. A film that couches the perils of illegally crossing in to the US within a forlorn love story, leaves you feeling empty of sympathy for the characters. In spite of their dire situation one feels that they got what they deserved!

Rating: * *

In the Loop

A benign quote "War is unforeseeable" from a British minister, sets off a slew of events that sees the US and the UK careen towards a war against a middle eastern country. A political satire that jet sets between London and Washington DC leaves you wondering in spite of its absurdity if this is the way governments function.

Rating: * *

Road, Movie

Vishnu is a young nothing from Jaisalmer, staring at a life of selling hair oil, his dad's business, and is not pleased. Fortunately for him, he stumbles upon an old neighbourhood uncle who is planning to drive his old Chevrolet truck (cinema theater on wheels) to a town by the sea and donate the damn thing to a museum. Vishnu volunteers to drive and envisages a long drive full of "foul smelling farts" - its not to be as he encounters 3 strangers on the way, who pull him away from life as he knows it.

Written & directed by Dev Benegal, 'Road, Movie' belongs to the burgeoning class of alternate / independent / not-fucked-up-Bollywood cinema. Whilst the plot seems familiar, the truck, the landscape and the sparseness of it all, makes it wurf-it. Abhay Deol does a good job as a young nothing - he is definitely an actor to monitor - got an eye for cool roles. I don't think the plot does justice w.r.t developing some of the other characters - the little boy and the fat man (Satish Kaushik). Last word: Mr. Benegal is, arguably, as pompous as his Bollywood director friends.

Rating: * * +

Villon's Wife

After reading Osamu Dazai's masterpiece last year, it was a pleasant surprise to watch an adaption of his earlier novel on the big screen. It does appear that all his works were an attempt to understand the darkness that engulfed him. Unlike 'No longer human', this story is narrated from the point of view of Otani's long-suffering wife - besides capturing all the sacrifices she makes to keep him, one, through Sachi's eyes, comes face to face with the devil that Otani is.

Tadanobu Asano as Otani shows yet again why he is one of the finest actors in the world today. Takaka Matsu plays Sachi with the kind of honesty and loyalty that would have made the Villon's wife proud. With brilliant performances, a plot that completely draws one in and fine directing by Kichitaro Negishi, Villon's wife slots into the top draw quite comfortably.

Rating: * * * +

PS: I really hope nobody attempts to adapt 'No longer human', as it would take away all the attention that the novel deserves. Update: wikipedia says the movie is on its way. Fuck it.

The Pool

Venkatesh (Venkatesh Chavan) sits on a tree branch and gazes forlornly at a pool bordering a deserted bungalow in Panjim, Goa. The tree is his intermediate resting spot during the laundry run for the hotel he works in. When the mansion sees new residents, Venky's life shines a tad brighter as he grows close to the father (Nana Patekar) and daughter (Ayesha Mohan) living there. A simple film with a simple screen play and story. But it is this very simplicity that allows it to show the complex layers of Indian society so succinctly.  For example the fact that Venkatesh is seen in only two outfits through the film while Ayesha changes her tops for every scene. That small nuance speaks volumes about the different strata of society the two occupy. The acting in the film is very understated and raw making the whole scenario more documentary like. Mr. Patekar shows that he can still be the man if he chooses to. Ms. Mohan is dusky and sexy while having more acting skill in her little pinky when compared to a certain Ms. Pinto. The movie should have been required viewing for Danny Boyle before he embarked on the disaster known as Slumdog Millionaire!

Rating: * * * +

Ip Man

The semi-autobiographical take on the legendary master of Bruce Lee, sees Donnie Yen don the role of Ip Man. The film attempts to show the Wing Chung master's life in China prior to his move to Hong Kong during / after WWII and his "resistance" against the invading Japanese culture. That portrayal seems a tad too melodramatic for it to have been real. However it calls for some very enjoyable ass kicking and if the popularity of Wing Chung was on the wane, this film should have brought it back on to the martial art radar.

Rating: * * +

The Hurt Locker

The camera follows an US army bomb squad through the treacherous streets of Iraq. You are given the eerie feeling that every object could be a bomb and anyone could be the detonator. But the feelings gets old very quickly and you want a few more layers to the film which is sadly lacking. With the hype surrounding the film, it seemed destined to be placed alongside Platoon and Apocalypse Now. That will not be the case in my book. 

Rating: * *

The American

Take a John Le Carre book add some violence to it, strip away the extensive background and storyline, make it in to a film and you will have The American floating across the screen. Jack (George Clooney) is taciturn assassin on the run from the Swedes. Who and why they are after him is deemed inconsequential by the director. However the lush cinematography and the voluptuous Violante Placido make for it. In spite of the all nagging questions that arise in your mind, you find yourself sucked in to Jack's solitary and fraught existence. A live in the moment film... 

Rating: * * +

O' Horton

Odd Horton (Baard Owe) is retiring from his life long job of an engine driver, I mean train engineer and he is an odd one at that. The film on the whole is odd in a boring kind of a way. A poor follow on to Factotum by Bent Hamer.

Rating: +

99

A gambler, the don, his gundas and supposed damsels in distress on the backdrop of match fixing makes up the key points of this film. With a cunning script and right treatment, this make up could conceptually turn in to a brilliant film. Alas just a concept it remains as we are dragged through 2 hours of drudgery which seemed like a life time. Boman Irani  the gambler, like Sachin Tendulkar in the 90s toils away in isolation trying to keep you hooked to the happenings. Kunal Khemu and Cyrus Broacha play the gundas and after a while Khemu trying to be a certain Amir Khan tires you out. Soha Ali Khan and Simone Singh roles are dubious and makes you wonder why they are in the movie till you remember the need for eye candy. Now to make things worse space has been wasted on the cloud for this piece of toilet paper used by the devil. Hopefully it will at least stand as a warning to others...

Rating: *